The Great War. The War To End All Wars. The First World War rose up out of the tangled history of Europe, with alliances, empires, and nationalism fuelling tensions until the assassination of a minor Austrian royal changed everything.
Canada would end up getting drawn into it from the start.
Some quotes by enlisting men are found here.
British artist Norman Wilkinson painted Canada's Answer. It depicts the first sailings of transports with troops to Europe in October 1914.
What was waiting for them was four years of hell: generals employing Napoleonic era massed charge tactics against new technologies that made killing all that more efficient. It was a stalemate almost to the end of the war before Allied officers would correct the mistake.
Rifles of the era.
And one of the field guns of the period.
Especially the last pic looks scary. To imagine to look into this for real...
ReplyDeleteWhat terrible things the victims had to go through before they were killed.
ReplyDeleteRather a sad subject for Christmas time !
ReplyDeleteNorman Wilkinson captured the eerily dark mood with perfection.
ReplyDeleteFortunately, the Netherlands remained neutral at the time. So pointless, the misery that all those wars produce.
ReplyDelete...the "War to End All Wars" didn't work out like that!
ReplyDeleteThe war to end all wars was merely the staging ground for the next. And so it continues.
ReplyDeleteSuch a shame.
ReplyDeleteWish the wars would really end once and for all! Even the petty skirmishes.
ReplyDelete@Iris: it would be.
ReplyDelete@Nancy: it was hell.
@Gattina: in a few days I'll be breaking away from the series for something more fitting for the season.
@Gemel: I have always liked that painting.
@Jan: the Netherlands was lucky.
@Tom: one of the tragedies of that war was that the victors had a chance to ensure it wouldn't happen again. Instead they wanted payback.
@David: so it was.
@Jennifer: indeed.
@magiceye: at the very least, no global conflagration.
Wars have never ended. There is always fighting going on somewhere in the world.
ReplyDeleteBoth world wars had some incredibly unfit generals who made many mistakes in tactics.
ReplyDeleteGod help us all. 🌹
ReplyDeleteHumans are known for their belligerent behaviour. Mainly men.
ReplyDeleteSorry, gentlemen. Men are the ones who start all of the wars. A fact that has been well documented.
Women have been socially programmed to be the nurturers, the protectors…
I guess wars will stop when there aren't any humans left.
ReplyDeleteGreat historical war display and photos ~
ReplyDeleteElegant photo and a wonderful thankful ~ You are blessed. Xo
Happy Thursday,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
The artillery has come a long way since the 1940s.
ReplyDelete@Sharon: that's how it feels.
ReplyDelete@Red: that is true.
@Sandi: indeed.
@Catarina: men do trigger them.
@Bill: that's how it sometimes seems.
@Carol: thank you.
@Marie: it has.
Wars continue, but are sad for all involved.
ReplyDeleteVery true.
DeleteOh, if only it WAS the war to end all wars.
ReplyDeleteIf only.
DeleteHorrible times.
ReplyDeleteVery much so.
DeleteAsà fué todo empezó en Europa y además tuvo una continuación con la Segunda guerra Mundial...a ver sà de una vez aprendemos de los errores de épocas pasadas.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
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